I’ve been reading the stories lately that discuss the recent suicide of a Chinese Foxconn employee after he was supposedly tortured and given a lot of hell of “misplacing” an iPhone prototype. You can read the entire story in multiple posts on Gizmodo or AppleInsider.
Of course the death of an employee is saddening and an eye-opening incident, I’d like to share something with you. First of all, Gizmodo seems to be the only blog that pulled the, “we only have ourselves to blame” card and I wholeheartedly agree. I encourage you to read their post on the matter.
So this all makes sense. The secrecy of Apple and our demand for leaks, secrets, photos and info on ever upcoming Apple device is fuel that caused Foxxconn to go overboard when this phone went missing. Yes, it’s just a phone.
Of course, what do I see today when I launch my RSS reader. Two stories caught my eye.
1. China Gets the iPhone…Officially
2. Report: Hon Hai to build Apple tablets as soon as September
The first post is talking about China finally getting an official carrier for Apple’s iPhone and the story ends with, “Apple’s global smartphone market share is about to get a lot bigger.” The second post is a report from AppleInsider that pieces clues together (mostly rumors) and they find that Chinese manufacturer Hon Hai will be getting the contract to build Apple’s upcoming tablet computer (which I’m very tired of hearing about).
What did I take from this observation? That Foxconn has quite a contract on their hands building iPhones for Apple and the shroud of secrecy Apple basically demands caused them to go to far, abuse and possibly torture a factory worker which resulted in his suicide. I doubt this was the first death related to Apple’s demands in the manufacturing of their products and is only the first death that became publicized. Of course, less than a week later, we have a post about how awesome it will be for China to get the iPhone and a rumor that Hon Hai is building the next tablet. I’m sure Hon Hai can’t wait to hire minimum wage workers, cram them in a factory and threaten them with abuse and garnished wages if they leak information just so the rest of the world can buy a $1200 shiny Apple tablet computer.
It’s a sick world we live in and we’re to blame for the death of this person. Trust me when I say that this won’t be the last underpaid human being who makes electronics, clothes and comforts that we Americans take for granted. I’m not saying “buy American”. I’m only saying that we should demand the companies we buy from to enforce labor laws and treat their employees with respect that we demand here in The US. If my Logitech Mouse cost $1.50 more because an employee is being treated well, then so be it but I consciously can’t enjoy my computer, iPhone or Taiwanese made bicyle knowing that someone probably suffered to build it for me.
I wholeheartedly agree that we, the larger consumer-base of the world, are much to blame for this. It’s sad, but somehow morbidly understandable why this person chose to commit suicide. Would you want to be punished to an extent over what some would call a glorified “gadget”?rnrnOne thing I thought of when I read that you “consciously canu2019t enjoy [your] computer, iPhone or Taiwanese made bicycle” is the thought of giving them up? I mean, what would your world look like if these three major factors in your work and personal life were shelved for a day or more? You couldn’t resort to any other computer, because most if not all are made oversees, or by a suffering worker. You can’t resort to another phone, since the case is still the same. And for bikes, there’s Amrican brands, but they’l be much, much more expensive.rnrnSo perhaps it’s not that you can’t “consciously enjoy” these items. It’s more that you’re always going to know that, unfortunately, people did have to work in disparaging conditions so that you and I can enjoy our life over here in a country and society where we truly take things for granted. Sadly, people often tune-out the nagging little voice that tells them their belongings are manufactured in such a way. All you really can do for now is remember this sad fact, and try to invest in companies that promote fair labor laws and who like to honor their employees, not belittle them.
-Ben Hughes
Well said.
Thanks “-Ben Hughes”rnrnI’m reading a book. (http://www.amazon.com/20-Per-Gallon-Inevitable-Gasoline/dp/0446549541) It’s opened my eyes and at $14 a gallon gas (which is coming in the next decade), the overseas production and our consumption of it will end or get so expensive that we can’t afford it.rnrnThis economy and growth / reliance on other countries with looser labor laws will end soon. It will be hard but it will also be good.rnrnIf you have an iPhone or Kindle, the book is $9.99 and it’s an awesome read! I’d recommend it to anyone.
I’ll look into getting it – always need a good read for those frequent plane trips between Savannah and Boston.rnrnHow do you think you’d fare if you DID have to go without those three items for a day? It’s not like you’d die or anything, but it would certainly take a toll I would think.rn
I wholeheartedly agree that we, the larger consumer-base of the world, are much to blame for this. It's sad, but somehow morbidly understandable why this person chose to commit suicide. Would you want to be punished to an extent over what some would call a glorified “gadget”?
One thing I thought of when I read that you “consciously can’t enjoy [your] computer, iPhone or Taiwanese made bicycle” is the thought of giving them up? I mean, what would your world look like if these three major factors in your work and personal life were shelved for a day or more? You couldn't resort to any other computer, because most if not all are made oversees, or by a suffering worker. You can't resort to another phone, since the case is still the same. And for bikes, there's Amrican brands, but they'l be much, much more expensive.
So perhaps it's not that you can't “consciously enjoy” these items. It's more that you're always going to know that, unfortunately, people did have to work in disparaging conditions so that you and I can enjoy our life over here in a country and society where we truly take things for granted. Sadly, people often tune-out the nagging little voice that tells them their belongings are manufactured in such a way. All you really can do for now is remember this sad fact, and try to invest in companies that promote fair labor laws and who like to honor their employees, not belittle them.
-Ben Hughes
Thanks “-Ben Hughes”
I'm reading a book. (http://www.amazon.com/20-Per-Gallon-Inevitable-…) It's opened my eyes and at $14 a gallon gas (which is coming in the next decade), the overseas production and our consumption of it will end or get so expensive that we can't afford it.
This economy and growth / reliance on other countries with looser labor laws will end soon. It will be hard but it will also be good.
If you have an iPhone or Kindle, the book is $9.99 and it's an awesome read! I'd recommend it to anyone.
I'll look into getting it – always need a good read for those frequent plane trips between Savannah and Boston.
How do you think you'd fare if you DID have to go without those three items for a day? It's not like you'd die or anything, but it would certainly take a toll I would think.
I do fine. I've been away from them before. every year I spend a week in the woods by myself with no tech. I'll be doing that at burning man this year.
It's very hard to buy all American goods though until gas prices force us to buy local.
Well said.
I do fine. I’ve been away from them before. every year I spend a week in the woods by myself with no tech. I’ll be doing that at burning man this year.rnrnIt’s very hard to buy all American goods though until gas prices force us to buy local.
Hon Hai precision manufacturing is Foxconn, the company that makes iPods, iPhones, Kindles, 360’s, PS3’s and loads more. All these companies demand product secrecy prior to release so Foxconn is under pressure all round, nobody should be blaming Apple or the “blogosphere”, maybe the guy shouldn’t have stolen a prototype product.
The guy may or may not have stolen something but that’s not proven. What is proven is that he was mistreated and abused to the point of suicide. I’m well aware that many people can’t take abuse (me included) but someone should be held responsible for the death of this person and I think the big picture is that it starts with us.rnrnThanks for clearing up the corporate view and how things work over there with Apple manufacturing but let’s get back to big picture.rnrnAny country in Asia, the middle east or Africa that doesn’t meet or exceed America’s labor laws shouldn’t qualify for importing product into America. I get that’s why it’s so cheap and I get that my stupid blog isn’t changing that and I’m not a master economist and don’t know some of the finer points of taxes, import / export and gross national product (other fancy economist words) but what I do know is that a majority of the good we used are made by people who suffer and that’s not good enough for me.rnrnIf we are going to import goods, isn’t it in the best interest of the world to require that the people that make everything we own be treated just a little bit better.rnrnTo say Apple and blogs aren’t to blame may be true if you’re looking at t his from a closed mind point of view. Apple and many of the blogs that fuel these rumors are based in countries that import products manufactured in China and other countries that mistreat and underpay their employees. That’s the issue here but I think it’s going to take a few more deaths in these factories to convince us that the price we pay for cheap goods doesn’t make up for the shitty lives people are living in to give us these goods.rnrnI’m not proposing a solution, just that the system is broken and needs to be fixed.
Hon Hai precision manufacturing is Foxconn, the company that makes iPods, iPhones, Kindles, 360's, PS3's and loads more. All these companies demand product secrecy prior to release so Foxconn is under pressure all round, nobody should be blaming Apple or the “blogosphere”, maybe the guy shouldn't have stolen a prototype product.
The guy may or may not have stolen something but that's not proven. What is proven is that he was mistreated and abused to the point of suicide. I'm well aware that many people can't take abuse (me included) but someone should be held responsible for the death of this person and I think the big picture is that it starts with us.
Thanks for clearing up the corporate view and how things work over there with Apple manufacturing but let's get back to big picture.
Any country in Asia, the middle east or Africa that doesn't meet or exceed America's labor laws shouldn't qualify for importing product into America. I get that's why it's so cheap and I get that my stupid blog isn't changing that and I'm not a master economist and don't know some of the finer points of taxes, import / export and gross national product (other fancy economist words) but what I do know is that a majority of the good we used are made by people who suffer and that's not good enough for me.
If we are going to import goods, isn't it in the best interest of the world to require that the people that make everything we own be treated just a little bit better.
To say Apple and blogs aren't to blame may be true if you're looking at t his from a closed mind point of view. Apple and many of the blogs that fuel these rumors are based in countries that import products manufactured in China and other countries that mistreat and underpay their employees. That's the issue here but I think it's going to take a few more deaths in these factories to convince us that the price we pay for cheap goods doesn't make up for the shitty lives people are living in to give us these goods.
I'm not proposing a solution, just that the system is broken and needs to be fixed.